“I’m jealous,” said Eveleen discontentedly. “What were these two men of mine doing, Sir Harry?”
“Staying where they were told, ma’am, and carrying messages when they were required. D’ye think I wanted the whole staff trotting up and down with me to draw the enemy’s fire, and riding down our own men when they turned? I tell you there was no room for parade manœuvres of that sort. Our line was never more than three yards from the enemy’s—sometimes only one. So don’t scold these good fellows when they deserve to be praised rather. We shall meet at dinner, gentlemen.”
He bowed again to her as he hobbled into his little shabby tent, and the staff separated hastily, to make such improvements in their appearance as the scanty materials at hand permitted, for the General’s strict regulations as to baggage were still rigorously enforced. Once more the party sat on boxes, with two larger boxes put together for a table, and as always when Sir Harry was on active service, the only drink was water. Bottled beer—which every European on the Bombay side regarded as a necessary of life,—wine, and spirits were sternly excluded from his campaigning requisites, as also smoking materials of all kinds. But the meal was cheerful, even hilarious, and every one had something to tell of the events of the day.
“What a battle!” said Sir Harry at last. “Three mortal hours of helter-skelter fighting—musket against tulwar and shield,—and the two lines within arm’s reach of one another the whole time. I saw our soldiers loading in their haste without using the ramrod at all, merely knocking the butt of the piece on the ground, and coolly changing blunted flints while presenting the bayonet at the enemy. Were there ever such troops?”
“Was there ever such a commander, General?” said Brian, in the easy way in which an Irishman can pay a compliment without appearing fulsome. “The troops would have broke and run time and again without you to rally ’em. They would have done nothing without you.” The rest murmured hearty assent.
“So the generous honest fellows testified when they gave me that cheer in the midst of the battle,” said Sir Harry, with deep emotion. “Believe me, gentlemen, I accepted it as the most moving tribute ever paid to a British commander. But I had no choice. From the moment I knew of the numbers of the enemy, and perceived his dispositions, I saw I must lead my soldiers against him before they were aware of his masses, and remain myself in the forefront of the fight throughout. A merciful Providence has justified my prevision.”
“But did you guess they had the river-bed filled with troops, Sir Harry?” asked Eveleen eagerly. “Sure you said——”
Sir Harry looked at her with humorous apology. “I did, ma’am—but I knew what I must find unless the Arabit commander were a consummate fool. He ain’t that, as his posting the ambush in the wood on our right showed, but inexperience—or contempt of his foe”—a laugh went round—“lost him the results he ought to have gained. That opening in the wall should have been masked, and some sort of platform devised from which to fire. As it was, the breach served me as a warning that troops were in the wood ready to attack us in flank, and when I looked inside and saw that by no possibility could they line the wall with matchlockmen and mow us down, I had but to send the heroic Crosse and his company to stop that hole as a cork stops a bottle, and the ambush was rendered nugatory—though my brave Leonidas perished in holding the gap. Yes”—as Eveleen started,—“poor Crosse has fallen, with half his men. We could send them no assistance once we ourselves were engaged, even had we had any to send. Only by breaching the wall with cannon when we reached the bank were we able to relieve the hard-pressed remnant.”
“Poor Crosse saved the army, General,” said Richard gruffly.
“Indeed you are right. The troops we had in Spain would have gone over the bank and through the enemy up t’other side. But these young soldiers—seeing a riverful of such ugly customers, jumping up at ’em with nasty shining swords like so many Jack-in-the-boxes—they were astonished, they hesitated. Had a flank attack come at the same moment, they must have broke. But as it was, they only needed rallying.”